Opener Has Saban's Stamp All Over It

DAVE HYDE Commentary

September 12, 2005|DAVE HYDE Commentary

MIAMI GARDENS — It's not about him.

Let's get that straight. Not this first Sunday. Not this first surprise. Not this first glimpse of Nick Saban entering with a team full of questions and leaving with nearly the most lopsided victory of the NFL's opening day.

"This is not about me," Saban said, holding up a hand after the Dolphins' 34-10 win against Denver and repeating the line he has used since Christmas Day when he became the coach. "This is not about me at all."

No, of course it's not about him breathing life into a sagging franchise. It's not about his Sunday giving hope to wondering fans.

It's not about him when the Dolphins had running and passing plays of 60 yards for the first time in a game since 1967.

It's not about him when 11-year Denver receiver Rod Smith said, with hint of exaggeration but no sarcasm, "This is the best defensive unit that we will play the entire season."

It's not about Saban even if his postgame speech was given to 28 new Dolphins players, and the coaching staff he built, in the locker room he ordered designed down to the skylight, insignia rug and larger space made to promote togetherness.

"You outprepare, you outwork them, you play tougher than they are -- good stuff will happen to you," Saban told his players after the game. "This is not a one-time occurrence. We started with the identity of this team today."

Not that the identity starts with him, does it? He suggests it started with the 53 players he awarded game balls. Linebacker Zach Thomas gave Saban one back.

"Thanks for being tough on us," Thomas remembered saying in handing it over. "And now maybe you can crack a smile."

Saban smiled. Briefly. He waved the ball. Quickly. He implemented a 24-hour rule for everyone to enjoy the win, even if he had nothing planned in celebration himself.

See his family. Relax at home.

"And start in on the next guys," he said, meaning the New York Jets on Sunday.

So it won't be 24 hours of enjoyment.

"More like 24 minutes for him," Thomas said.

Not that it's about Saban. It's not about the clay he's molding. It's not about the work he's doing. It's not about how he started in January and by June still didn't have any pictures on his office walls or books on the empty shelves because there were more pressing concerns.

Saban and his wife, Terry, went to Croatia with and bunked five nights on the ship of Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga this summer. It wasn't a complete getaway, though.

"He'd work on the phone and the computer every day," Huizenga said.

Saban also evidently loosened up that sergeant's voice enough to sing karaoke the final night. Yowza.

"Not bad," Huizenga said of Saban's voice. "Me, I can't carry a tune across the room."

Huizenga expected a win, but didn't expect Saban to deliver such sweet music this Sunday.

Only Pittsburgh's 34-7 win against Tennessee came with a larger margin. That was expected in some form, too.

"I didn't expect this," Huizenga said.

This new defense didn't allow Denver's vaunted rushing attack any yards in the first quarter. Nor was this new offense handcuffed by the Little Miss Muffet philosophy of sitting on leads, either.

After Denver scored to make it 20-10 Miami with about six minutes to play, quarterback Gus Frerotte came into the huddle with a play that wouldn't leak the clock but pass deep.

"When I heard it, I was like, `yeah!' " said receiver Marty Booker, who then caught the 60-yard touchdown pass.

"A good day," Huizenga called it, and had the sense to stop there.

Maybe it's a preview of more surprise this season. Maybe it won't get any better this year. You'd go crazy mining conclusions from era-opening games. Consider how Saban's predecessors fared on their first Sunday:

Don Shula lost at the Patriots, 24-17.

Jimmy Johnson won against the Patriots, 24-10.

Dave Wannstedt won against Seattle, 23-0.

All you know, as Huizenga said, is it was a good day for the Dolphins. And afterward, Saban walked out of the Dolphins locker room, accompanied by an aide. Not that it was about him, but another aide waited with keys by his car, which was parked under the stadium.

Saban then drove out of the stadium and into the sunlight to savor this good feeling for the next 24 hours or 24 minutes. Not that this Sunday, this season or this full era is about him.

Dave Hyde can be reached at dhyde@sun-sentinel.com.

NO OPENING DAY JITTERS

Gus Frerotte is the only quarterback other than Dan Marino to throw for more than 200 yards in his debut with the Dolphins in a season opener: